peters



No. 770,696. PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904. P. M. PETERS & H. H. HUNGERPORD. MACHINE FOR WRAPPING AND LABELING PACKAGES.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.11, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO MODEL.

iIIlli/Il FT v I TEI PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904. F. M. PETERS & H. H. HUNGERFORD. MACHINE FOR WRAPPING AND LABELING PACKAGES.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.11. 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

No. 770,696. PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

F. M. PETERS & H. H. HUNGERPORD.

MACHINE FOR WRAPPING AND LABELING PACKAGES.

V APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 11, 1902. N0 MODEL. 4 sums-sum s.

IIIIHIDID PATBNTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

F. M. PETERS '& H. H. HUNGERFORD. MACHINE FOR WRAPPING AND LABELING PACKAGES.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.11, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4. I

N0 MODEL.

"1,1,10,11,1 vllllllllal/ UNITED STATES" Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

' FRANK M. PETERS .AND HENRY H. HUNGERFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

SAID HUNGERFORD ASSIGNOR TO SAID PETERS.

MACHINE FOR WRAPPING AND LABELING PACKAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,696, dated September 20, 1904.

. Original application filed September 11, 1901, Serial No. 75,100. Divided and this application filed October 11, 1902. Serial To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANK M. PETERs and HENRY H. HUNGERFORD, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago. in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Wrapping and Labeling Packages, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improve- IO ments in that class of machines which are intended to apply a wrapper to a package and which are provided with means for folding the wrapper and securing the folds by means of labels or other adhesive seals applied to 5 such folds.

The machine is specially adapted to apply the outer wrapper and the label to packages which are already inclosed in pasteboard boxes or cartons.

Our present invention comprises certain improvements upon the machine which is fully described in our former patent, No. 67 2,286, granted April 16, 1901, and the present application constitutes a division of an application 5 filed by us on the 11th day of September, 1901,

under Serial No. 75,100, for certain improvements upon the machine disclosed in our former patent aforesaid.

The improvements claimed in the above- 3 mentioned application are concerned with those features of the machine which pertain to the wrapping mechanism, while the subjectmatter of the present application has to do with improvements in the label aflixing and 35 setting mechanism and improvements in the means for controlling the air or exhaust which is employed in applying the labels.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for this purpose 4 which shall be more certain and reliable in operation than similar mechanism heretofore used; and to this end our invention consists in certain improvements in the mechanical structure and combination of devices, which will be 45 hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wrapping and labeling (N0 model.)

machine embodying our present improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation through the framework and carrier of the machine and showing the label-applying mechanism in side elevation with parts broken away and parts omitted. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view showing the driving-shaft and a cam-shaft from which the operative parts of the machineare driven. Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive, are detail views of parts shown in the general. views of the preceding figures. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the label-hopper. showing the uppermost of a stack of labels therein. Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of the hopper and a suction-box for withdrawing the labels therefrom and showing the stack of labels in edge view. Figs. 11 and 12 are detached views of springs cooperating with said labelhopper. Figs. 13 and 14 are views of the ends of the carton or package, Fig. 13 being an end view of the wrapped package before the application of a label, and Fig. 14 a similar view after the application of the label; and Fig. 15 is a side elevational view of a portion of the labeling mechanism. more particularly illustrating the means for actuating the pasteroller and for throwing the same out of action manually when the machine is running idle. We have shown in the drawings so much of a wrapping and labeling machine in which our improvements are embodied as is necessary to properly make clear the nature of our improvements and their manner of cooperation with the wrapping mechanism of the machine. The machine so far as shown follows the general plan of the machine shown in our patent before referred to, and we will not in the present description enter upon the details of the several parts except as they have been modified by our presentimprovements or are necessarily mentioned by reason of their intimate cooperation with said improvements.

Referring to the drawings, and 21indicate the opposite sides of the stationary main frame, in which is mounted the oscillating shaft 22, supporting the rotary carrier 23, which is composed of the central hub 24, the spokes or webs 25, and the peripheral receptacles 26, which are connected circumferentially by theside plates 27 An intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the carrier by means of the vibrating arm 28, which engages, by means of a pawl 29, the teeth 30 in a ratchetring 31, secured to the spokes of the carrier. The vibrating movement is imparted to the arm by means of the connecting-rod or pitman 32, whose lower end engages the eccentric 33 on the counter-shaft 34. The counter-shaft is driven through the gears 35 36 from the main shaft 37, to which power is applied through the pulley 38. 1

The packages are fed to the machine through the trough or chute 39, which is adapted to receive the packages to be wrapped and along which they may be fed by hand or in any suitable manner. In the plane of the vertical axis 'of the carrier is located a plunger 40, by which the. packages are forced into the peripheral receptacles of the carrier as they are successively presented in line therewith. The carrier is provided with certain pistons 41, on which the packages delivered by the plunger are received, these pistons being mounted on the outer ends of piston-stems 42, sliding longitudinally in suitable ways along the radial spokes 25 of the carrier, and toward their inner ends are provided with antifriction-rollers 43, which are engaged by a cam-plate 44. Said cam-plate has a hub 44, which is slipped over the oscillating shaft 22, and is provided with an outstanding arm 45, carried by a hub 46 fixed on the shaft. The cam-plate thus partakes of the oscillations of shaft 22, and the arm is positioned laterally by the setscrews 47 and 48, whereby the cam-plate is adjusted to secure the -properly-timed movements of the piston-rods and pistons. The camplate is so disposed that the piston lies in the plane of the opening of the receptacle before a package has moved down toward the carrier, and at this moment a Wrapper is in position over the receptacle and covering the upper surface of the piston. As the packageis deposited upon the wrapper lying over the piston the arm 28 is rocked to carry its pawl back into position to engage a new tooth. Since the cam-plate 44 is secured with the shaft 22, which carries the arm 28, it is evident that the cam-plate will also be rocked backward with said arm, and during said movement the pin 43, connected with the arm of the piston which is then sustaining the package, will pass over the point of the cam marked 49, and as the plunger and package descend the pin 43 will ride down the inclined cam-surface 50, thus holding the wrapper clamped between the piston-head and the package. During this same movement of the arm 28 the cam-sun face 51 will engage the pin of the piston-rod then lying horizontally in line with the delivery-chute, (designated as an entirety by 52,) and the piston is driven out slightly beyond the periphery of the carrier, so as to insure the clearance of the package from the carrier. In order to prevent the carrier-through momentum from running away from the actuating-pawl 29 during the period of its advancement, the ratchet ring or plate 31 is provided with interior lockingshoulders 54, and the arm 28 carries a pivoted holdback-latch 55, which is so weighted as to cause it to engage said locking-shoulders 54 when the pawl engages the locking-shoulders 30 on the outer surface of the ring. At the end of the advance movement of the carrier the latch 55 is automatically thrown out by the contact of its forward end or nose with a lug 56, secured on the side frame of the machine.

53 designates the table on which the wrappers are placed and from which they are fed in succession beneath the plunger 40. On the sides of the carrier adjacent each of the package-receptacles 26 are located wrapper gripping and folding devices, and mounted on and between the main side frames of the machine are other wrapper-folding devices designed to fold the wrapper around the sides and ends of the package as it lies in the receptacle. Inasmuch as these devices are fully disclosed in our former patent, hereinabove referred to, and constitute no part of our present invention, reference is made to said patent for a full description thereof.

The packages after having been operated upon by the Wrapper-applying devices are a next presented to a label or seal applying mechanism of the same general type as that shown in our former patent, above referred to, but embodying the improvements constituting the subject-matter of our present invention. This label-pasting mechanism comprises, essentially, a hopper 57, having an open bottom and elastic strips 58, fixed to its inner side walls and adjustably supported laterally upon the points of the screws 59. These strips are designed to support the stack of labels 60. The strips 58 are placed on opposite side walls of the hopper, and the other side walls are provided with strips 61 and 61, which may have inwardly-projecting spurs or points 62 and 62, respectively, at their lower ends, designed to extend beneath the pile of labels. The strip 61 is elastic and is supported upon the hanger 63, which is carried by.a pivot-pin 64, and said suspended strip I sheets of paper, are removed from the hopper by a pneumatic or suction carrier, of which the suction-box is shown at 66. Said suctionbox is perforated in its upper surface and is mechanisms work simultaneously to apply the labels to opposite ends of the packages. The

hollow arm or tube carrying the suction-box is caused to oscillate on its bearing and also to slide therein, so as to enter the hopper, withi drawing a label therefrom, and to apply the 1 same to the end of the package by certain mechanisms comprising the eccentric on a horizontal shaft 71, lying between and parallel with the main side frames adjacent the base j portion thereof and suitably geared to and driven from the counter-shaft 3 1,the eccentricrods 72, the jointed links 73 and 74,and the crank 75, which is connected to the hollow arm or tube 67, so as to rock the latter on its pivotal bearing. The arm is guided in its movements by a pin or roller 76, traveling in a slot 77, having a horizontal extension 78 and a vertical extension 79 at opposite ends thereof, respectively. When the eccentric-rods are reciprocated, they will cause the hollow arm or tube carrying the suction-box to be carried from one extremity of the slot to the other,

and during the course of this movement the suction-box will detach a label from the bottom of the stack of labels within the hopper, withdraw it therefrom by a downward movement, and then by the rocking movement carry it along the curved slot 77 and in transit present the label in position to receive the paste from a paste-roll 80, carried by a pivoted frame 80, and at the end of the movement the hollow arm or tube will be forced inwardly, carrying the label against the end of the package.

The mechanism above described and the operation thereof are substantially similar to that described in our patent hereinabove referred to.

We have found, however, that in order to allow for possible inaccuracies of adjustment and variations of the parts it is necessary to provide for a certain amount of yielding or flexibility, and this we do by constructing the eccentric-rods 72 in two sections, which are extensible with relation to each other. This is conveniently done by providing one of the sections 7 2, Fig. 5, in the form of a slotted guide-casting and the rod 72 with a nut 72 and interposing a spring 7 2 between the nut and the end of the casting. This affordsthe necessary compensation for irregularities and permits the labels to be applied with a uniform pressure. The suction-box is exhausted by means of an air-exhaust device, such as the pump 81, Fig. 1, the pump-rod being connected with the oscillating shaft 22 and the chamber of the pump being placed in connection with the hollow arm or tube 67 by means of the hose-pipe 82. It is'desirable to break the exhaust after the label has been applied to the end of the package, and we provide means for doing this automatically in the application of a valve to the outer 'end of the tube 67.

i 83, Fig. 8, designates the valve-casing, and 8 1 the valve-pad, which is carried on a hinged or pivoted arm 85, the latter being under the tension of a spring 86, which tends to seat the valve. In the horizontal movement of the tube. or suction-box which applies the label the end of the curved arm will come into contact with a fixed stop 87, Fig. 2, which will open the valve and break the exhaust, thuspreventing any tendency to withdraw the applied label from the package. Thisbreaking of the exhaust is automatic, and as soon as the arm is withdrawn from the end of the package the valve closes again and sealed connection with the pump is established. A second vent is provided for the exhaust-pipes, which is placed under the control of the operator, said vent being shown at 88. (See Figs. 3 and 6.) A valve 89 is normally held by the spring 90 in position to seal said vent, and the valve-lever 91 has an, arm 92"resting thereon, said arm being formed integral with the rock-shaft 93. (See Fig. 3.) The end of the arm 92 extends into convenient position to be depressed by the foot of the operator, so as to break the vent in the exhaust system and to prevent the withdrawal of labels from the hopper at such times as the machine will be in operation but with no package in the receptacle opposite the labeling mechanism. The rock-shaft 93 is also provided with arms 94, which extend beneath pivoted levers 95, which control the label paste-roll 80 through the rods- 96, pivoted at their lower ends to the outer ends of the levers 95 and at their upper ends to the frames 80, as fully shown in Fig. 15. When the arm 92 is depressed, it not only breaks the exhaust of the suction-boxes, but at the same time lifts the levers 95 out of con-' tact with their operating-cam 97, and thereby prevents the movement of the roll 80, which would otherwise apply paste to the face of the suction-box. For a more particular description of the cam 97 and its function reference may be had to our former patent, No. 672,286, hereinabove referred to, where the same cam is fully shown and described at 186 in connection with Figs. 21, 24, and 27.

As a means for setting the labels after the same have been applied to the ends of the boxes there are shown mounted upon the vibrating bell-crank levers 98, Figs. 1 and 1, the pads 99,which are so disposed as to engage the label at the limit of movement of said bell- Said bellcrank levers in that direction.

with an oscillating and reciprocating labelcarrier and a driving-shaft, of elastic yielding connections between the said carrier and driving-shaft, substantially as described.

2. In a labeling-machine, the combination with an oscillating and reciprocating labelcarrier and a driving-shaft, of a pitman connection between the driving-shaft and the carrier, said pitman being composed of two sections slidably connected together, and a spring elastically uniting said sliding members, substantially as described.

3. In a labeling-machine, a pneumatic device for withdrawing, transferring and applying the label comprising an oscillating and reciprocating suction-box, a hollow support communicating therewith and by which it is carried, means for exhausting the interior of said support, an opening in said hollow support, a valve hinged to said support and controlling said opening, a spring normally holding said valve against said opening, and an extension from said valve adapted to contact with a fixed part of the machine after the label has been applied, whereby to break the exhaust, substantially as described.

4. In a labeling-machine, the combination with an oscillating and reciprocating suctionbox, an air-exhausting means, and a tubular connection between said suction-box and said air-exhausting means, of a spring-held valve normally closing a vent-opening in said tubular connection, and a manually-operable lever adapted to withdraw said valve from the ventopening closed thereby thus venting the system, substantially as described.

5. In a labeling-machine, the combination with an oscillating and reciprocating suctionbox and means for exhausting the interior thereof, of a bodily-movable paste-roll for applying paste to the face of the label, a pivoted foot-lever, and connections between the latter and said paste-roll whereby the latter may be manually thrown out of action, substantially as described.

6. In a labeling-machine, the combination a foot-lever connected therewith, and a pasteroll for applying paste to the face of the label,

' said paste-roll being also connected to the footlever and adapted to be thrown out of action when the exhaust is manually broken, substantially as described.

7. A label-holder for use in labeling-machines, the same comprising a hopper having an open bottom, and a pair of elastic strips fixed to two opposite inner side walls thereof, respectively, and at their lower ends serving to support a stack of labels, in combination with an elastic thumb-shaped label-feeding strip pendent from another side of the hopper and pressing upon the adjacent margins or edges of the lowermost labels of the stack and serving to control and permit the withdrawal of the labels one by one from the bottom of the hopper, substantially as described.

8. A label-holder for use in labeling-machines, the same comprising a hopper having an open bottom, and a pair of elastic strips fixed to two opposite inner side walls thereof, respectively, said strips having slightly-inturned lower ends which serve to support a stack of labels, in combination with a pair of label-feeding strips pendent from the other opposite sides of the hopper, one of said lastnamed strips having an inwardly-projecting pin at its lower end, and the other being elastic and having a convex lower end which bears upon the adjacent margins or edges of the lowermost labels of the stack and serves to control and permit the withdrawal of the labels in successive, one-by-one order from the bottom of the hopper, substantially as described.

FRANK M. PETERS. HENRY H. HUN GERFORD.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK C. GooDWIN. 

